As to why Mugabe’s visit would contribute to xenophobic attacks, Zimbabweans are the largest group of immigrants in the country. Some 1 million Zimbabweans have entered South Africa after fleeing the policies of Robert Mugabe. The attacks of the past weeks have resulted in some 2000 Zimbabweans fleeing back home. The visit appears to have signalled the ascendency of the ageing gerontocrat’s policies in the region with the unintended consequences of a xenophobic backlash.